Welcome to this week’s HotCopper Wire, our market watch podcast! Each week, HotCopper’s senior markets reporter Jonathon Davidson and I take you through the week’s biggest news headlines — and what they mean for Oz investors.In this Week 48 episode, we talk about the European Union sniffing around our critical minerals, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s alleged “80%” rate cut chances, and why BHP Group just had another stab at Anglo-American (hint: it’s all related to Simandou slowly lumbering to life in the last ...

VIRGINIA CITY, Nev., Nov. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Comstock Inc. (NYSE American: LODE) (“Comstock” and the “Company”) today announced that Corrado De Gasperis, Executive Chairman and CEO of Comstock Inc. and its subsidiaries, Comstock Metals, LLC and Comstock Mining, LLC, will participate in the upcoming Water Tower Research Fireside Chat Series taking place on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Fireside Chat will be hosted by Peter Gastreich, Managing Director at Water Tower Res ...

Leadership Changes - Paul Mann has been appointed as Executive Chairman effective January 1, 2026, bringing 25 years of experience as an investor and entrepreneur [3][4] - Mann previously built ASP Isotopes Inc. to a market cap exceeding $1 billion and has extensive experience in investment firms such as Morgan Stanley and Soros Fund Management [3][4] Strategic Direction - The company has raised over $40 million from institutional investors, including $2.5 million from Quantum Leap Energy LLC and $3.5 million from Mann personally [5] - The company aims to become a strategic supplier of critical minerals and nuclear fuels, focusing on U.S. customers to ensure access to essential materials [6][7] Acquisition Details - The company has made its first acquisition in the critical minerals space by purchasing a 20% interest in a privately held LLC with significant assets in Asia for $20 million [9] - Further information regarding this investment will be disclosed once government approvals are obtained, expected in Q4 2024 [10] Headquarters Relocation - The company plans to relocate its headquarters from Hong Kong to Washington D.C. to align with its strategic shift towards supplying critical materials to the U.S. [11]

Group 1 - First American Uranium Inc. has changed its stock symbol from URM to NIOB, effective November 5, 2025, on the Canadian Securities Exchange [1] - The company has graduated from the OTC Pink to the OTCQB Venture Market, with the ticker changing from OTCPK: FAUMF to OTCQB: NIOMF, effective October 31, 2025 [2] - The CEO of First American expressed excitement about the new Canadian symbol and the graduation to OTCQB, stating that these initiatives align with the company's mission to advance the critical minerals agenda in North America [3] Group 2 - First American Uranium Inc. is focused on the acquisition and development of precious, base, and critical mineral assets, with properties including the Silver Lake property in British Columbia and a newly acquired land package in Quebec [3] - The Quebec properties enhance the company's exposure to rare earth elements (REE), niobium (Nb), and nickel-copper (Ni-Cu) occurrences, which are strategically important for energy and defense applications [3]

Core Insights - Canada has announced a CAD 6.4 billion ($4.6 billion) package aimed at reducing China's dominance in the critical mineral supply chain [1] - The initiative is part of the G7 Alliance projects, emphasizing the importance of reducing market concentration and enhancing national security [2] Government Actions - The Canadian government has invoked the Defence Production Act to designate critical minerals as essential to national interests, enabling a stockpiling regime [3] - The package includes various strategies such as stockpiling, purchase agreements, equity stakes, and price floors to create an alternative to China's mineral value chain [4] Corporate Involvement - Among the 25 projects, Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. will receive support for its Matawinie graphite project, with offtake agreements with Panasonic [5] - Rio Tinto Plc has secured CAD 25 million from the Canada Growth Fund for its scandium plant, while Vianode plans to build a CAD 2 billion synthetic graphite facility in Ontario [5] Future Investment Outlook - The Canadian Climate Institute estimates a need for at least $30 billion in investments by 2040 to meet decarbonization and industrial policy goals, indicating a significant gap in current project pipelines [6] - The announced package serves as a catalyst, signaling a shift from resource potential to a full value chain approach [6] Strategic Objectives - Canada aims to establish itself as a leader in the critical minerals value chain, focusing on resource sovereignty and resilient supply chains that enhance allied security and economic strength [7]

Core Insights - Agnico Eagle Mines reported strong third-quarter results, with net income reaching $1.06 billion or $2.10 per share, driven by high gold prices and strong production [1][2] - The company established a new subsidiary, Avenir Minerals, to consolidate its investments in critical minerals, with an initial portfolio valued at approximately $80 million [7][8] Financial Performance - The third-quarter operating cash flow was $1.82 billion, and free cash flow was $1.19 billion, benefiting from increased production and higher gold prices [1] - Cash costs were reported at $994 per ounce, while all-in sustaining costs were $1,373 per ounce, with an average realized gold price of $3,476 per ounce [3] Production and Cost Guidance - Agnico reaffirmed its 2025 production target of 3.3–3.5 million ounces, with costs expected to be at the upper end of the range due to higher royalty-linked expenses [4] - The company anticipates capital spending for the year to be between $1.75 billion and $1.95 billion, excluding capitalized exploration costs of approximately $290–$310 million [4] Balance Sheet and Shareholder Returns - The company strengthened its balance sheet, increasing its cash position to $2.36 billion and reducing long-term debt to $196 million, resulting in a net cash position of $2.16 billion [5] - A quarterly dividend of 40 cents was declared, and over one million shares were repurchased for $150 million, reflecting a commitment to shareholder returns [5] Growth Pipeline and Exploration - Development projects are advancing at Canadian Malartic, Detour Lake, Upper Beaver, and Hope Bay, with exploration work on schedule and promising results, particularly at Hope Bay [6] - Engineering work at San Nicolas in Mexico is nearly 30% complete [6] Strategic Focus on Critical Minerals - Avenir Minerals will operate independently while Agnico maintains a right of first refusal on new projects, allowing the company to focus on gold while exploring opportunities in critical metals [8][9]

Core Viewpoint - Canstar Resources Inc. has successfully closed an oversubscribed non-brokered private placement, raising approximately $1.17 million in hard-dollar financing, primarily from institutional investors, to strengthen its balance sheet ahead of its 2026 exploration program [1][2][4]. Financing Details - The Offering raised total gross proceeds of $1,169,970.54, with $1.15 million from hard-dollar units, indicating strong demand for exploration in Newfoundland [2][4]. - Canstar has raised a total of approximately $1.67 million in hard-dollar capital in recent months, including proceeds from an early warrant exercise incentive program [3]. Use of Proceeds - Proceeds will be allocated for general corporate purposes, including exploration at the Buchans, Mary March, and Golden Baie projects, as well as working capital and corporate development activities [6][12]. - The gross proceeds from the sale of flow-through units will be used to incur Canadian Exploration Expenses on the Company's Newfoundland properties [10]. Offering Structure - The Offering consisted of 17,738,008 non-flow-through units issued at a price of $0.065 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $1,152,970.54, and 200,000 flow-through units issued at a price of $0.085 per unit, generating gross proceeds of $17,000 [8][9]. - Each non-flow-through unit includes one common share and one transferable common share purchase warrant, while each flow-through unit consists of one common share and one-half of one warrant [9]. Management Commentary - The President & CEO of Canstar emphasized the strength of the financing and the company's disciplined capital strategy, highlighting the exciting exploration opportunities at the Mary March project [5].

Core Points - NioCorp Developments Ltd. is hosting two Town Hall meetings on December 5, 2025, to update the public on the Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project [1] - Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen will headline the events, which include a noon luncheon and an evening dinner with speakers and presentations [1] - Attendees must pre-register for the events through the provided link [1]

Group 1 - Comstock Inc. will participate as a Silver Sponsor at the 51st Annual New Orleans Investment Conference from November 2-5, 2025, with CFO Judd B. Merrill presenting on November 3rd [1] - The New Orleans Investment Conference is a prominent event that gathers successful analysts, newsletter writers, and investors to explore major asset classes, including equities [2][3] - The conference has a rich history of featuring notable speakers, including former political leaders and economists, which adds to its prestige [4] Group 2 - This year's speaker lineup includes influential figures such as Robert Kiyosaki, Peter Schiff, and Mary Katharine Ham, indicating a diverse range of insights and expertise [5][6] - Comstock Inc. focuses on innovating and commercializing technologies for clean energy systems, particularly through the extraction and conversion of under-utilized natural resources into reusable metals [7]

Core Insights - Kirkland Lake Discoveries (KLDC) has announced significant results from its inaugural drill program at the KL West Property, revealing high-grade copper sulphides and new gold discoveries within the Winnie Pluton [1][4][35] - The drill program confirmed a new mineralizing system with a 17-km perimeter, indicating a large-scale exploration opportunity in the Kirkland Lake camp [4][32] Drill Results - The drill program consisted of 10 holes totaling 1,722 meters, with notable intersections including: - 31.38 m of 1.22% CuEq from 14.62 m, including 5.02 m of 3.31% CuEq [7] - 36.5 m of 1.03% CuEq from 13.5 m, including 8.3 m of 2.18% CuEq [7] - 27.35 m of 1.27% CuEq from 13.9 m, including 8.2 m of 2.65% CuEq [7] - The results highlight the presence of both copper-rich massive sulphides and gold-bearing syenite, confirming the potential for high-grade and large-scale mineralization [8][28] New Discoveries - The program led to the first-ever discovery of gold-bearing syenite within the Winnie Pluton, associated with critical elements such as Cu, Ag, Te, Bi, and Mo [3][20] - Two distinct mineralizing systems were identified, reinforcing the interpretation that the Winnie Pluton is a significant mineralizing engine [20][25] Funding and Future Plans - KLDC is fully funded for a major follow-up drill program with over $12 million secured, utilizing newly completed Heli-MT geophysical data to guide exploration [5][33] - The company aims to expand its dataset with advanced geophysics and geochemistry to define the most prospective targets across the contact zone [33][39] Geological Significance - The findings at KL West represent a significant breakthrough for the Kirkland Lake camp, with the potential for additional discoveries along the 17-km perimeter of the Winnie Pluton [35][36] - The district has a history of producing over 40 million ounces of gold, with KLDC's land position being the largest consolidated package in the district's history [32][39]